Autumn Yin Yoga Flow: Poses for the Lungs and Letting Go

Autumn Yin Yoga Flow (35-45min)

As the seasons shift, autumn invites us to slow down, breathe deeply, and notice what is ready to be released. In Yin Yoga, this is mirrored in the Lung–Large Intestine meridians, the energetic pathways that help us take in what nourishes and let go of what no longer serves. 🍂

In this Yin Yoga flow, we tune into these channels of Qi flowing through the chest, shoulders, and arms, connecting breath with the flow of life itself. When Lung Qi is balanced, the breath becomes steady and nourishing, replenishing the whole body with vitality.

The season of autumn reminds us of this truth: as leaves fall, we too are invited to release what we no longer need to carry. Healthy Lung Qi supports that process, strengthening what sustains us while gently encouraging the letting go of old patterns, tensions, or burdens. In this balance of holding and releasing, we remember our inherent worth and reclaim the spaciousness within.

A Few Touchstones for the Practice:

As you guide or explore these poses, consider holding each shoulder-opening shape for 1½ to 3 minutes, while hip-opening postures may be held for up to 5 minutes or so. The upper body joints are more delicate than the hips, so the invitation here is not intensity but steadiness and subtle opening. Encourage awareness of breath expanding through the chest and ribs, letting each exhale support gentle release.

Props can be a welcome companion here - bolsters, blankets, or blocks help to alleviate any strain and allow the body to settle into a position of mild sensation. In Yin Yoga, this is the only destination: a place where we can rest, observe with compassionate eyes, and allow energy to flow with ease.

Mini Arrival Meditation:

Find a comfortable seat or recline on your mat.

Close your eyes if it feels right for you, and allow your breath to settle.

With each inhale, sense nourishment entering through the lungs, filling the chest, the shoulders, the arms.

With each exhale, imagine the breath sweeping gently outward - like autumn leaves loosening and drifting from the branch.

Glide your awareness down through the chest and shoulders.

Notice where there is space, and where there is holding.

Let the breath meet both with equal kindness.

Take a few more rounds of steady, mindful breathing.
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Inhale welcoming space...exhale as though releasing the weight that no longer belongs...

When you are ready, soften your gaze or open your eyes, arriving in your body and on your mat - steady, spacious, and ready to enter the practice.

Practitioner's Tip: As you settle into each pose, allow the breath to be steady and mindful. With each exhale, envision a quiet wave moving through areas of sensation - dissolving tension and restoring ease through body, mind, and heart.
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If you feel called to deepen both your practice and your teaching, my book Yin Yoga & Meditation offers guidance, inspiration, and carefully crafted practices. You can find it on Amazon. ☯